Air supplied hood structure



July 28, 1959 w. A. GIBBoNs 2,896,617

AIR SUPPLIED HOOD STRUCTURE Filed` Nov. 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WESLEY A. lon/s A T7' ORNE YS W. A. GIBBONS AIR SUPPLIED HOOD STRUCTURE July 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 3, 1955 WWHMWWWMMMWWM i n n 1 l l l q 1 A 1 v l l D INVENTOR. M/fsL Ev A. /ous BY t ATTORNEYS.

AIR sUPPLrED Hoon STRUCTURE wesley A. Gibbons, irmingham,`Mioh. Application November 3, 1955, Serial No. 544,732 13 claims. (ci. 12s-'14s) yThis invention relates to a protective air supplied hood and to an air diffusing device therefor.

The invention is applicable to various types of protective helmets and hoods which cover the head and face of the user and which are continually supplied with An exemplary application is in hoods used to protect workers eyes, lungs, skin, etc. from harmful or irritating dust, fumes and mists. a t

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, improved device for dilfusing the air introduced into such a hood and for deadening the sound thereof. The invention generally contemplates the use of a cartridge in a container mounted on the hood interior. A conveniently small tube is arranged to carry compressed air to the cartridge which is constructed to diffuse the air into a relatively broad, low velocity, soundless stream. The container has an opening to admit the diifused air into the hood and has a deector for directing the ail around the hood interior. One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a generally elevational front View `of an air supplied hood according to this invention with the diffuser and other parts shown in phantom.

' Fig. 2 is a generally elevational side view of the hood in use with parts broken away and parts shown in phantom.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged generally sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. l t

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the dituser unit separate from the hood with parts shown in phantom.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the diffuser unit with parts broken away and shown `in section to illustrate structure. Y s

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, partly sectional View illustrating a sealing washer structure.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the cartridge and inlet tube separate from the body of the diffuser unit.

8 'is an enlarged sectional view on "line 8-8 of iFig, l. t t Y Fig. 9 `is a perspective view of a modified form o f the fdiluser unit separate from the hood with parts shown Iin phantom.

Shown in thedrawings is a hood 10 according to this inventionand having a hood body 11 formed of a exible `fabric which is impermeable to the passage of air. A relatively stiff ber plate 12 is sewn into the front of the helmet by stitches illustrated at 13 and a head band 14 is detachably secured thereto by such means as snaps 15.

-Atransparent window or eye mask 16 is slidably secured `between layers 17 and 18 of plate 12 (Fig. 8) and may have an opening 19 for a purpose to bedescribed. Window 16 is slidably removable from plate 12 through has an open bottom portion 23 provided in front with draw strings 424 and preferably provided at its rear 25 with an elastic band.`

@ fgtS Patent and a closed end 31 with an opening 32 therein. A cartridge 34 formed of a material permeable to the passage of air and having sound deadening and air diffusing' properties is disposed within body 29. The cartridge has an elongate opening 35 in its interior. A tube 36 having a conveniently small diameter projects through opening 32 in the body and into opening 35 in cartridge 34.

The lower end portion 37 of the tube is arranged to be connected to a compressed air line 38 having a spring clip 39 and the upper end portion `40 of the tube preferably has a number of axially and circumterentially spaced outlet ports 41 opening directly against the material of cartridge 34 (Fig. 5). An elastic sealing washer 42 is provided around tube 36 at opening 32, the tube having a larger diameter than the opening 43 in the washer so that the sides 44 of the washer are expanded firmly against the seat provided by opening 32 to form an air seal.

Cartridge 34`is formed of a relatively soft resilient material having porous or cellular structure `such as felt. The cartridge and its opening 35 may conveniently be formed by folding a strip of felt upon itself over the lapertured end portion 40 of tube 36. The resulting layers 46 and 47 of felt may be secured together and secured to tube 36 =by an adhesive 48. The inner end 50 of the tube is preferably open and positioned against the interior of the folded portion 51 of the felt forming the cartridge. The cartridge is shaped and dimensioned to pass into and out of body 29 through open end 30.

A flexible flap 53 has one end portion 54 secured to one side of body 29 as by a rivet 55 and a snap head rivet 56, and has its other end portion 57 detachably secured to the opposite side of body 29 :as by means of a snap fastener `58. An intermediate portion 60 of the ap lies athwart open end 30 of body 29 and is spaced therefrom to form a deector. Flap 53 is open sided to provide outlet openings 61 for air issuing through open end 30 of the body. Hood body 11 is provided with a snap fastener 62 for interengagement with snap 56 and is provided with an opening 63 through which the lower end 37 of tube 36 projects when the diffuser is fastened Awithin the hood as illustrated in Fig. 2.

a In use, it may be assumed that eye mask 16 and head band 14 have been assembled on hood `body 11 as described. Diifuser 28 is secured within the hood body by inserting lower end 37 of tube 36 through opening 63 in the hood body and engaging snap fasteners 56 and 62 on the diiuser and hood body respectively. The diiuser is positioned at the rear of the helmet with openings 61 Vbeing disposed in opposite circumferential directions ad- "an opening at theunstitched edge 20. Hood body 11 fusing air entering the hoodf The diffuser includes a jacent the top of the hood. Hose 38 is connected to the lower end 37 of the tube.

The hood is donned as illustrated in Fig. 2 with the head band encircling the wearers head and strings 24 are drawn and tied to close the bottom of the hood around the wearers neck. The elastic at portion 25 of the hood provides a snug yieldable t. Hose 38 is connected to a source of compressed air and spring clip 39 is attached to the wearers belt or clothing to bear tension in the compressed'air line, for example, as the wearer moves around and pulls the compressed air line after him.

Compressed air introduced into tube 36 passes through open end 50 thereof and through spaced apart outlet ports 41 against the felt material forming cartridge 34. The air passes through the tube and its outlets at a relatively high velocity and creates considerable noise. The soft, resilient, porous or cellular cartridge material mules the sound of the air at tube 36 and diffuses the vair as it passes therethrough in-to a relatively broad, low velocity, silent stream which issues through open end 30 of the diffuser body and is deflected outward through openings 61 by deector 60 aligned with opening 30.

Air passing' through openings 61 is directed circumferentially in opposite directions around the top portion of the hood and passes out of the hood through openings 19 in the eye mask. This current assuresyan adequate supplywf oxygen to the wearer and tends to'prcvent any harmful fumes or particle-laden lair 'from Ventering the-hood.' Where morecompleteprotection is needed, as where the user must work in* an atmosphere 'containing deadly fumes, eye mask 16 may bel slidably removed through open side'Z()v of plate 1'2 and replaced by a'mask having" no opening'therein. In this case the air is circulated around the top of the hood and leaks out around the bottom portion .23 thereof.

The wearer may remove the'hood by merely releasing draw strings 24 and lifting head band 1li-and hood body 11 away from his head and releasing spring clip 39. Diffuser 28 may be removed from the hood by disconnecting air hose 38 from the lower end 37 of tube 36, unsnapping fasteners 56 and 62', withdrawing tube 36 through opening 63 in the hood body, and then removing the diffuser 4through the vopen lower end 23 of the'hoo'd body. y

Cartridge 34 may be removed from diffuser body 29 therethrough and deadening the sound thereof, said body of material and each of said outlet openings having a larger cross dimension than said inlet conduit means whereby to pass air through said body of material into a hood in relatively broad, low velocity, soundless streams, said outlet openings being disposed in different directions for directing said streams of air in different directions around the interior of a hood.

3. In combination, a hood adapted tocover a wearers head, and an air diffuser as defined in claim 2 for supplying air to said hood, and means securing said air diffuser in operative relation to said hood.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein there I' are two of said outlet openings positioned generally ady the container interior.

such as' Afor cleaning or replacement by unsnapp-ing fastener 58, opening flap 53, and withdrawing the cartridge with tube 36 attached thereto through open upper end 30'of the body. Lower end 37 of the tube thereon slidably withdraws'through opening 32 in the closed lower end 31 of the support body. A cartridge is installed in body v29 Y by linserting it throughfopening 30 with tube 36 sliding through opening 32. Flap 53 is again closed by engaging snap fastener 58 and the diffuser may then be secured in the hood body as described. Y

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 9 is similar to the principal form except that diffuser unit 65 has a body 66 formed of a fiexible'but form-retaining material such as a plastic with a deflector 67 formed integrally with extensions of side walls of the diffuser body. Deflector 67 defines opposite disposed sideopenings 68 and is flexibly distortable to one side of open end 69 of the diffuser body so that cartridge 34 can be inserted into the body through the open end. Operation of this form ofthe invention is similar to operation of the principal form.

I claim: n

1. An air diffuser for an air supplied hood comprising, asupport adapted to be secured on a hood, means forming on said support a body of material permeableto the passage of air, said body having hollow form, a conduit projecting into the interior of said body, said conduit being adapted to be connected to a source of air under pressure, said conduit having a portion with plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced outlet ports therein, said ports opening directly against the material 4forming said body, the exterior of said body being exposed to theinterior of a hood on which said support is secured, whereby to pass air through said body into a hood, said body having resilient cellular construction for diffusing the air passing therethrough and deadening the sound thereof, said body being formed of a sheet of felt folded upon itself to a U-,shape with said conduit projecting between Vthe folds, 'the legs of the U engaging said portion of said conduit.

2. An air diffuser for an air supplied hood comprising, means forming a generally form retaining container halving inlet conduit means extending to its interior and having 'a plurality of outlet openings, a body of material positioned between said conduit means and said outlet openings and being pe1rneable to the passage of air, said container'being adapted to Vbe secured on a hood with said openings communicating to the hood interior, said conduit means being adapted to lbe connected to a source of air under pressure whereby to pass air through said body of material into a hood, said body of material'having a relatively soft porous structure for diffusing air jacent the top portion of said hood and generally adjacent a side wall thereof, said openings being arranged to direct air in generally opposite directions around the hood interior.

5. The air diffuser structure defined in claim 2 wherein said container includes a flexible element defining in part said outlet openings and having a portion detachably secured to a portion of said container to facilitate access to 6. The air diffuser structure defined in claim 2 wherei said container includes an open sided generally U-shape extension with the open sides defining, in part, said outlet openings,- said extension having flexible construction so that it can be'exed toward a side of the container to facilitate access to the interior thereof.

7. The air diffuser structure-defined in claim 6 wherein one leg of said U is fastened to lsaid container and the other leg of said U is detachably secured to said container adjacent said outlet openings.

8. The air diffuser structure defined in claim 6 wherein the legs of said U integrally join said container adjacent said outlet openings.

9. An air diffuser yfor an air supplied hood comprising, a support adapted to be secured on a hood, means forming onV said support a body of material permeable to the passage of air, said body having hollow form, a conduit projecting into the interior of said body, said conduit being adapted to be connected to a source of air under pressure, said conduit having `a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced outlet ports, said ports opening directly against the material `forming said body, the exterior of said body being exposed to the interior of a hood on which said support is secured, whereby to pass air through said body into a hood, said body having resilient cellular construction for diffusing the air passing therethrough and deadening the sound thereof, said body being formed of a sheet of felt -folded upon itself with said conduit projecting between the folds, said conduit having an open end disposed adjacent the interior of the fold in said felt.

10. An air diffuser for an airsupplied hood comprising, 4a hollow container adapted to be secured on the interior` of -a hood, said container having a generally rigid form-retaining body, said body having -a closed end :and an open end, a cartridge of material within said body, the material forming said cartridge being permeable to the passage of air, a tube projecting through said closed endjand having a portion extending into the interior of said cartridge, saidY tube being adapted to extend to the exterior of a hood on which said support is mounted and being Vadapted to be connected to a source of `air Iunder pressure, said portion of said tube having outlet mcansfor air ltherein, whereby to pass air through `the material of said cartridge yinto a hood, the material of said cartridge having a relatively soft porous structure for vdiffusing Yfair Ipassing therethrough and deadening the sound thereof, said container, cartridge and open end having a larger diameter than said conduit, whereby to pass air throughsaid cartridge into ahood in a relatively broad, low velocity,sound1ess stream, a flexible flap on said body, said ap having a portion secured athwart said `5 open end but spaced therefrom to vform a deector, said iiap being open sided to define oppositely disposed openings adjacent said deector, whereby to deflect air issuing from said open end around the interior of a hood.

11. The diffuser deiined in claim 10 wherein said cartridge is constructed and arranged to pass through said open end and a portion ofsaid ap is detachable from said container body to pass said cartridge through said open end.

-12. The diffuser defined in claim 11 wherein said tube slidably extends through an opening in saidelosed end of said body and wherein said tube is fastened to said cartridge. g

13. The diffuser defined in claim 10 wherein said ap is integral with adjacent portions of said container, said 15 iap being exibly distortable to one side of said open end to pass said cartridge.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Muntz July 1, 1902 Rhodes et a1. Apr. 9, 1918 Rensink Apr. 3, 1934 Schwartz Dec. 1, 1936 Nathanson Oct. 26, 1943I Daly Dec. 21, 1943 Schroeder Aug. 17, 1948 Conley Dec. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Mar. 17, 1930 France June 6, 1936 

